Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk described the killing of Pakistan Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan as a “significant development in the fight against terrorism.”
Mr. Mulk made the comment in a telephone conversation on Friday night with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and thanked him for sharing information about Fazlullah’s killing, said a Pakistan government statement.
The call was initiated by Mr. Ghani, who tweeted that Fazlullah’s killing was “the result of tireless human intel by Afghan security agencies.”
U.S. yet to confirm
A U.S. official said that the U.S. believes that it is likely the strike killed Fazlullah, but efforts are ongoing to confirm his death. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss preliminary information.
In his tweet, Mr. Ghani said he also called Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. In both conversations Mr. Ghani said he urged Pakistan “to take practical steps to bring Afghan Taliban residing in Pakistan to the negotiation table.”
Thursday’s drone strike, which reportedly killed Fazlullah and five other insurgents when missiles slammed into the car in which they were driving, occurred just hours before Afghanistan’s Taliban began a three-day cease fire.
In his conversation with Mr. Ghani, Mr. Mulk said that Fazlullah’s death would be received throughout Pakistan with relief as Pakistanis had borne the brunt of terrorist attacks by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Fazlullah headed.
The Pakistan government statement also said an “action had finally been taken against an enemy of the people and state of Pakistan.”
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a telephone interview that he could not confirm Fazlullah’s death because of the remoteness of the area but also because Afghanistan’s Taliban are not present in that area.
Saeed leads prayer
Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on Saturday led Id-ul-Fitr prayers at the Qaddafi Stadium at Lahore amid high security even though the Pakistan government has outlawed his organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). Police personnel and Saeed’s own security men were deployed in and outside the stadium to secure the area.
The JuD chief also delivered a sermon on the occasion and asked Pakistani citizens to extend their full support to the people of Kashmir. He has been allowed to hold public rallies in Pakistan even though his organisation is banned in the country.
(With PTI inputs)